New York
CNN
–
Some Twitter users woke up Saturday expecting their coveted blue verification check marks to disappear in a little purge by Elon Musk. Instead, Twitter appears to be targeting an account from a major Musk in Publication did not like and changed the language of its site in a way that hides why users are verified.
Twitter said it will “begin phasing out” the blue checks provided under the old verification system – in preparation for Three-1 users. accounts to pay for verification from December.
Most of the Blue Check holders found this week that their verification marks did not disappear, But rather confirmed by a new reading of the label: The language, which appears when users click on the check mark, is not clear if the verified accounts are actually individuals or simple users who pay Twitter Blue.
But one high-profile account lost its blue check over the weekend: the primary account for the New York Times, which previously told CNN it would not pay for verification.
After an account Musk often shared posted a meme this week about hours of refusing to pay for verification, Musk responded with a tweet saying, “OOO OK, let’s take it right away.” The musk then washed over the hours – the latest instance of billionaires snitching on journalists or media outlets – in a series of tweets claiming that the outlet’s coverage is boring and “propaganda.”
The weekend moves are just the latest example of Twitter creating confusion and whiplash for users’ changes, but many of the users involved have a marketing factor for the platform. It also highlights how Musk has often appeared to guide decisions about the platform more by virtues than by policy.
Although the main account of the New York Times lost the blue check, other accounts, such as those for travel arts, travel and books have been verified. .
Twitter, which laid off most of its public relations staff at the end of the fall, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a strangely confusing move, the Blue Bird Bird Logo at the top of the site was replaced on Monday with DOHE, the meme representing the Crypocurency Dogecoin, which has been invaded by muscoin. The price of Dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday.
Musk has been threatening to remove “Legacy” Blue Check Marks from users who were verified under Twitter’s old system since before he was bought by Twitter at the end of twitter.
In early November, Twitter launched the option for people who pay for Twitter’s Spect Sperscription Subscription to receive Blue Check. The program was quickly put on hold after being hit by a wave of offers and corporate whistleblowers, and was backed up in December.
Twitter also runs a color-coded verification system for companies and government entities, but Musk continues to say that individual end users will have to pay for the blue checks.
In the days leading up to the blue check that no, no, Prominent users such as actor William Shatner and anti-bullying activist Monica Lewinksy have pushed back on the idea that a part that pays a part from print.
By fixing the reasons accounts are verified, the new label can make it dangerously easier for people to scam or conform users to the profile. The experts also said that it is not clear that the payment verification for paid users will reduce the number of bots on the site, which was a must in the last year.
Musk, for his part, previously presented changes to Twitter’s verification system as a way to “treat everyone equally.”
“There shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities,” he said in a Tweet last week. The paid part could also drive revenue, which would help Musk, who is on the hook for significant debt after buying Twitter for $44 billion.
Musk last week also said that starting April 15, verified accounts that users recommend “for you” will feed into the accounts they follow.
-Cnn’s Oliver Darcy contributed to this report.